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Re: Possible Mite Control?

>What do we know, though, about the survival of these mites in the post varroa time frame.

Again, just an opinion from Nancy Ostiguy in the same talk with no reference to known facts, she believed they had mostly been wiped out by the acaracides. I know the bee louse (which is not really a louse or a mite but part of the fauna of the hive) is almost unheard of now and used to be fairly common. Most of those mites are microscopic so I'm sure no one noticed if they were or were not missing unless they were seriously looking. Scientists usually don't keep track of the "bystanders."

Re: Possible Mite Control?

Did they only live in hives? If not, their survival would not be threatened by varroacides. Do they still exist in the feral hives that (i'm told), have been around for years and never been treated? Some areas apparently (i'm told), have thriving feral populations that go back to pre varroa times and have never been treated, and claims are even made of whole bee populations with a different, so called, "feral" breed. If it's all true, these symbiotic mites should be alive and well, we need have no fears.

As few of them ever lived on the bees but just the hive environment, be it chinks in the wall, rubbish at the bottom, or whatever, could any suitable environment house these mites, bees or no bees?

Did they move to new hives by travelling with a swarm? Or did they just invade the new hive from the surrounding area?

Did all hives have them? or was it of no consequence to the hive wether any of these mites moved in, or not? I mean other than the bee louse, that could be a nuisance to the bees if numbers got too high.

Re: Possible Mite Control?

Quite a few mite species are specific in their habitat requirements. I'm no acarologist, but from the species names given to those that Michael Bush posted here, they suggest a high degree of specialization. Ant colonies are hosts to a wide range of mites, beetles, flies, and other animals. I think that bee colonies would be the same under "natural" conditions. In ant colonies, quite a few of the other species living there feed on detritus, or simply are present and tolerated in the colonies. A few feed on the ants themselves, and some are fairly general feeders. Starting with that array of species, any given ant colony may be host to a few or quite a few of the range that may be found in one area. I think finding all of the inquilines and social parasites and predators and parasites and symbionts found in a geographic area in a single colony would be unusual.

Off topic a bit -- does anyone here find bee lice in their hives even occasionally? Bee lice are flies (wingless, but still flies). I'd like a few dead specimens in good condition if I could get them, but I've yet to find any in my hives.

Re: Possible Mite Control?

The main part of Emily’s presentation was concerned with an experiment
she is conducting with the help of the Buckfast Bee Lady, Clare
Densley, who was present, to see whether the mite, Stratiolaelaps, that
attacks the red mite that afflicts poultry, will also attack the Varroa
mite. With the aid of powerpoint and and Excel bar chart she was able
to show us the results so far.These are exactly the same mites that are
used by The Chicken Vet.

Whereas the graph of the controls showed the expected steeply rising <---this was the untreated colonies
curve, that of the treated colonies showed an undulating wave along the
bottom of the graph showing that the treatment works.

mike syracuse ny
I went to bed mean, and woke up meaner. Marshal Dillon

Re: Possible Mite Control?

Originally Posted by Kieck

Off topic a bit -- does anyone here find bee lice in their hives even occasionally? Bee lice are flies (wingless, but still flies). I'd like a few dead specimens in good condition if I could get them, but I've yet to find any in my hives.

Re: Possible Mite Control?

Bee lice are about the same size as Varroa mites, and about the same color. Bee lice probably look more round or long, rather than the oval, wide appearance of Varroa. I've read that bee lice adults may be found on queens, they may preferentially seek out the queens, but they do no real harm to the bees.

I've only ever seen a few pinned bee lice in person. I keep looking for some, but have yet to find any.

Re: Possible Mite Control?

The above will give you hundreds of pictures of braula coeca (bee louse). If you see one on a bee they in no way resemble a Varroa. A Varroa is flat and you never really see their legs without a magnifying glass. The bee louse is more likely on the head or just behind the head their legs are very noticeable and they stand up off of the surface, where a Varroa looks more like a freckle ON the surface.

Re: Possible Mite Control?

Too bad. I keep hoping to find some. If anyone comes across any in their bees, please let me know.

I started into keeping honeybees after Varroa were already widespread, and bee lice were likely pushed out by the combination of the more competitive mites and the chemical treatments used against those mites.

Re: Possible Mite Control?

I find this thread a little frustrating--a cheap biological control, but nobody seems inclined to plop down 45 bucks to dump these critters into a couple of infested hives, and share the experience. People who keep snakes and marijuana growers have more experience with hypoaspis miles than beekeepers! I first read about this today. Ordered some mites here.

Re: Possible Mite Control?

Originally Posted by jfb58

I find this thread a little frustrating--a cheap biological control, but nobody seems inclined to plop down 45 bucks to dump these critters into a couple of infested hives, and share the experience. People who keep snakes and marijuana growers have more experience with hypoaspis miles than beekeepers! I first read about this today. Ordered some mites here.

Well I for one plan to do a test hive just as they start the build up on dandelions.
I understand the skeptism, look at all the latest can't miss remedies we've seen the last 10 years.
But this makes so much sense. I'm ready

Re: Possible Mite Control?

What's happen if I have 2000 of this bugs in my hive and they eat all mites in a few days, do you think they will go outside in the soil to survive and come back to check for more mites? It says, they living in soil, how can they survive in a hive? I have no soil in any hive, my bees have a good cleaning behavior.
I hope they are not going into the cells eating the eggs and the few days old larva's if the varroas are gone. We already have a scientist made problem .......with the African honey bees.

Re: Possible Mite Control?

>I wonder why we seem to have such great success in killing off the beneficials but seem unable to make a dent in the parasites?

We face the same dilemma with all pesticides and poisons. The target is always a pest that reproduces rapidly (which is what makes them a pest). Their predators never reproduce as fast (or they would all starve) so when we try to kill the pest we always end up with more pests and less of the pest's predators.